Party Pads Villas in Bali, Indonesia

A special birthday or event to organise? From a few friends to a few hundred these villas are just perfect for letting your hair down and partying the night away. Most will feature great staff, big kitchens, and lots of space to make lots of noise – some even with a DJ booth! Pop the champagne, turn up the music and let the party begin. (If you are planning a large event, please let us know at the time of booking.)

This luxury hillcrest villa packs a punch with its panoramic views across Jimbaran Bay. We soaked up the vista from Aiko’s infinity pool, second-level terraces, enormous find-me-if-you-can bed – even from our bathtub-for-two!

If you’re looking for traditional Bali-style architecture, Villa Aiko may not be your first choice. But while resolutely city-chic contemporary in design, the villa makes abundant use of natural materials in its construction - think reclaimed ironwood and river-stone walls, teakwood floors, Benkirai-wood decking and ironwood shingle roof. And the essence of Bali is evident in the charming and attentive-but-discreet staff.

The villa manager/executive chef Putu was an absolute treasure. He was completely unfazed by my vegetarian request and created a memorable dinner – spring rolls, pumpkin and basil soup, beetroot and orange appetiser, and Portobello mushrooms en croute with perfectly cooked vegetables and the best mashed potatoes in Bali. And his Eggs Florentine – the egg poached to perfection, the Hollandaise cancelling days of dedicated Pilates practice – was a fabulous way to kick-start the morning. No wonder some guests stay away from Jimbaran Bay’s seafood restaurants and choose instead to eat in every day, as the visitor’s book attests.

We think Aiko would be a great villa for large family groups. There are so many independent seating areas to break away to for some peace and quiet, and it’s great to find a library in a Bali villa; we really appreciated the wide choice of books. Though all four bedrooms have king-size beds – no twins – there’s a single bed discreetly designed into the foot of each bed. We thought the fourth bedroom might be best for kids (who tend not to be so view-hungry) as the outlook is partly blocked by the guest pavilion and spiral staircase. One note of caution: there are steep drops from the pool and terraces but, thankfully for parents, glass barriers line both second floor terraces.

This out-of-town villa is a little gem that offers the best of both worlds. On the one hand you will find all the serenity and peace that you would expect from a countryside location, together with the enchantment of a Balinese village, yet you are only five kilometres from the centre of Ubud, where there is plenty to do, including shopping, sightseeing, trekking, river rafting and eating out. The villa itself is romantic, charming and furnished with love, but don’t expect anything too high-tech or lots of fancy facilities because that’s not what Villa Alamanda is about. It’s more about rustic charm than funky architecture, and yes there might be one or two things that could be better maintained, but this is reflected in a very reasonable price. We found the staff to be efficient and friendly, and the chef’s cooking is excellent.

It is difficult to pinpoint what’s best about The Arsana Estate. During our stay the chef cooked an exquisite dinner which was served fabulously by the staff. With the windows open, the sound of the waterfall and distant wildlife and a gentle breeze drifting in it was a delight. The so-cool pool leads off into the jungle, and with the Boss sound system cranked up, a G&T in hand and a masseuse on call, what more could one ask?

The staff were a pleasure – especially the villa manager – always attentive and smiling but nicely discreet. We could hardly believe it when the manager chased us on his motorbike for seven kilometres to return our laptop cable after we checked out. Such care! The bedrooms have superb views, ‘top’ bathrooms and ever-so-comfortable beds: closing the blackout curtains led to a deeply enjoyable but totally unplanned lie in!

Game of billards? DVD on the big screen? Walk in the village? There’s so much to do and yet it’s so easy to chill. To be honest there was no one thing that makes this villa shine, it all works really well and we could not recommend it enough.

It is difficult to pinpoint what’s best about The Arsana Estate. During our stay the chef cooked an exquisite dinner which was served fabulously by the staff. With the windows open, the sound of the waterfall and distant wildlife and a gentle breeze drifting in it was a delight. The so-cool pool leads off into the jungle, and with the Boss sound system cranked up, a G&T in hand and a masseuse on call, what more could one ask?

The staff were a pleasure – especially the villa manager – always attentive and smiling but nicely discreet. We could hardly believe it when the manager chased us on his motorbike for seven kilometres to return our laptop cable after we checked out. Such care! The bedrooms have superb views, ‘top’ bathrooms and ever-so-comfortable beds: closing the blackout curtains led to a deeply enjoyable but totally unplanned lie in!

Game of billards? DVD on the big screen? Walk in the village? There’s so much to do and yet it’s so easy to chill. To be honest there was no one thing that makes this villa shine, it all works really well and we could not recommend it enough.

Returning to Villa Asada after three years we were really pleased by the way in which it has evolved to become a truly magnificent family holiday villa with stunning views over the spectacular Amuk Bay. Since our original visit, the property has changed hands and undergone an extensive upgrade, with an enormous amount of thought put into the provision of guest needs in the form of deep comfort and some great new facilities (including a poolside bar, and a gym). The Asian food we had was excellent (best satay sauce ever!) – do note though that the villa is a good hour away from major provisioning so whilst local food can be provided at relatively short notice, more complex meals need a little more planning. As such there is a restaurant style house menu and an advanced order menu where 24 hours notice is requested. The chef (included) will help out with all your meal planning though.

Returning to Villa Asada after three years we were really pleased by the way in which it has evolved to become a truly magnificent family holiday villa with stunning views over the spectacular Amuk Bay. Since our original visit, the property has changed hands and undergone an extensive upgrade, with an enormous amount of thought put into the provision of guest needs in the form of deep comfort and some great new facilities (including a poolside bar, and a gym). The Asian food we had was excellent (best satay sauce ever!) – do note though that the villa is a good hour away from major provisioning so whilst local food can be provided at relatively short notice, more complex meals need a little more planning. As such there is a restaurant style house menu and an advanced order menu where 24 hours notice is requested. The chef (included) will help out with all your meal planning though.

Architecturally simple yet eminently comfortable, Villa Asante makes a great holiday pad for a couple of families. The layout is very practical, especially the open sided common areas which flow so well to the pool. It is commendable that the owners have resisted the temptation to build a mega-villa on what is quite a big plot – resulting in much more open space to relax and for kids to run around in. The pool is superb, with shallow sections for toddlers and practical decking which is not slippery even with wet feet (unlike the terrazzo floors). It could do with a little more shade although there are sun umbrellas and a very pleasant balé. Bedrooms are practical and comfortable too, and the bathrooms really are very good, especially the downstairs ones with outside showers and walled gardens. On a recent re-visit we found the (now much more experienced) staff to be superb and the food conjured up by the chef to be tasty, if a little pricey.

Architecturally simple yet eminently comfortable, Villa Asante makes a great holiday pad for a couple of families. The layout is very practical, especially the open sided common areas which flow so well to the pool. It is commendable that the owners have resisted the temptation to build a mega-villa on what is quite a big plot – resulting in much more open space to relax and for kids to run around in. The pool is superb, with shallow sections for toddlers and practical decking which is not slippery even with wet feet (unlike the terrazzo floors). It could do with a little more shade although there are sun umbrellas and a very pleasant balé. Bedrooms are practical and comfortable too, and the bathrooms really are very good, especially the downstairs ones with outside showers and walled gardens. On a recent re-visit we found the (now much more experienced) staff to be superb and the food conjured up by the chef to be tasty, if a little pricey.

Of all the villas we’ve reviewed in Bali, Villa Asta is tops for families and kids. Never have we seen a villa so well set up for children’s entertainment, and with separate zones so that the adults (and kids) can escape from one another. It is no surprise that it's often booked for months in advance and guests return each year. The Guy Morgan-designed villa is full of common sense but without skimping on the luxury. In the three-bedroom pavilion, many guests will appreciate the flexibility of the bed configurations. Do note that whilst we rave about Villa Asta for families – these bedrooms are excellent for adults too, so the villa would work well for groups. The private plunge pools beside the master bedrooms’ pavilion are a gorgeous plus. Overall we found the villa to be a very bubbly and happy place, from the excellent staff who served us a wonderful barbecue during our inspection, down to the super friendly (and very fat!) koi fish, which are a great source of entertainment and fun to feed. What is also special about Villa Asta is the lovely stonework and thatch, which left us in no doubt that we were in Bali. When we revisited the property recently, we found that it has been immaculately maintained, with some new upholstered furnishings, a new marble floor, and upgraded facilities such as flat-screen TVs, computer and printer for guest use, and the addition of four bicycles.

We loved Villa Atas Ombak. It’s big – nay grand – and majestic with a location that just can’t be found for love nor money these days. On arrival, we had to pinch ourselves to make sure we weren’t dreaming. This is the kind of place where you really come to relax and do nothing. And when we say ‘do nothing’ we mean just that, especially with the beach being on the front doorstep.

In the competitive world of luxury rental villas, it is often the staff that really makes a difference, and at Villa Atas Ombak they are definitely ‘on the ball’. Before we even knew we were thirsty, the housekeeper was strolling out to the lawn to see what we wanted to drink.

Should you feel like exploring beyond the villa grounds (and believe us, you may not!) there is a handful of local restaurants just a few hundred metres up the beach which make for an unpretentious, casual lunch or sunset drinks – so casual you don’t even need to change out of your swimmers. We didn’t! For guests who like to jog or amble along the sand, the distance to Kuta is a good challenge (with a taxi back of course).